Hat-press.



A. HOFF.

HAT PRESS.

V APPLICATION FILED APR. 18, I914 1,142,430, Patented June 8, 1915.

' 2 $HEETS-SHEET l- 1 i J 4 Ti 1. 2 10 9 J 7 15 WITNESSES IN VEN TOR.

W A TTORNE;

THE NORRIS'PETERS CO-, PH07D-L|THO., WASHINGTON. D. C. I

A. HOFF.

HAT PRESS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 18, 1914.

1,142,430. Patented June a, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IN VEN TOR.

WITNESSES.-

THE NORRIS PETERS 170-, PHOTD-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. D. C

ARNOLD HOFF, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

HAT-PRESS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARNOLD H01 1, a subject of the King of Hungary,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented new and useful Improvements in Hat- Presses, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to hat presses, and;

has as its principal object to provide mechanical means for holding andstretching the material of which hats are sometimes made, such as felt,velvet or the like, so that the work can be performed with advantage byonly one operator, whereas heretofore press machines used for thispurpose, in which one mold is pressed against another fixed mold,required the attendance of the material from the other side so that thetension is under the complete control of the operator.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show thedevice in its preferred form of construction; I

Figure 1 represents a side view of the device. Fig. 2, a rear view ofthe same, partly in section. Fig. 3, a plan, a few parts being removedfor the sake of clear ness. Fig. 4 is a view showing the position of thegrippers relative to the molds and to the operator. 7 V

In the separate views the same part is designated by the same referencecharacter.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, an upright post 1 is mountedin the press machine as a support for a tapped and slit block 2 adaptedto be adjusted on the post into any desired position. By means of aclamp tion of the block, the latter can be secured to the post inadjusted position The block 2 carries a horizontal shaft 4 which extendsan equal distance beyond the block at both sides. On this shaft two'plates 5, arranged at opposite sides of the block 2 and mounted by meansof bushings'on the shaft, are adapted to rock. Each plate carries at theinner end a fillet 6 arranged at right angles Specification of LettersPatent.

. Application filed April is, 1914. Serial No. 832,784.

screw 3, fitted in the splitpor Patented Juries, 1915.

to the shaft 4. One end of this fillet projects beyond the plate, andthe projecting part is held between two wing nuts 7 fitted ona treadedspindle S. The spindles 8 are pivoted at 9 to a bracket 10 which is secured to the block 2. It is evident from this arrangement that theplateswillbe secured 1n position by the nuts 7 and also that they can be set,independently of one another, in different angular positions on theshaft 1 by an adjustment of thenuts on the spindles 8.

Each plate 5 supports, by means of two bearings 12, a sleeve 11. Eachbearing 12 is slotted for the reception of an eyelet 15 which embracesthe sleeve and which is fitted with a-treaded stud passing through thebase of the bearing and through a 1011- gitudinal slot 11 made in theplate 5 'By' means of a wing nut 13, fitted on the stud and bearingagainst the lower surface of the plate 5, the eyelet 15 can be actuatedfor clamping the sleevelto the bearing 12 and securing the latter to theplate 5. Owing to this arrangement the sleeve can be adjusted to andsecured in any desired position on and at various angles to the plate 5.The sleeve can moreover be adjusted longitudinally in the bearings, anoperation which is shuts against the guide 20 and against a collar 22 onthe rod, thereby tending to ,hold the frame in the position shown inFig. 1. The collar 22 is secured to the rod 19 by means of a wing screwand can easily be shifted for varying the pressure of the spring. Therod 19 is secured in position simply by means of a wing screw 23,,fitted in one of thecrosspieces 18 so that it can I easily be removed.By this arrangement, therefore, the spring 21can readily be replaced byoneof'more or less strength.according to requirements. The rod 17terminates at the front in a vertical socket 24 containing a conicalstud 25 which is connected to a horizontal plate 26." The free end ofthe stud 25 is threaded and fitted with a Wing nut 27 by means of whichit'fiiand their holders and the manner in which can be secured, togetherwith the plate 26,,

to the socket in various angular positions. Hinged to the plate 26 isanother plate 28 so as to forma pair of jaws between which to grip thehat material, one jaw being preferably provided with teeth 29 which takeinto a groove 30 made in the other aw so that a firm grip on thematerial is obtained. Springs 31 tend to close the jaws which are openedby means of two cams 32 connected to opposite ends of a shaft 83 held bythe lower plate. The cams are adapted to retain the jaws in openposition and are operated by means of levers 34 connected to the camsone to each. One of the levers 34% is connected by means of a cord orwire 35 to a separate treadle by means of which the cams can thus beoperated so as to allow the jaws to close over the hat material whichthe operator inserts between them with the hands.

The device is set up so thatthe grippers are disposed at one side of themolds 36 (Fig. i) opposite the position of the op erator. Two corners ofthe material 37 are inserted in the grippers, one in each pair, and theseparate treadleis operated so as to cause the jaws to close. Then theoperator grips the opposite corners of the material and stretches it outbetween the molds 36, the frames 17, 18 and 19 being thereby movedforward in opposition to the springs 21. l Vhen the material has itsproper tension and position, the machine is operated for raising thelower mold and pressing the material into hat shape. Finally the op-.erator turns the cams 24 for operating the jaws and releasing thematerial from the grippers. V j

The two frames are preferably set in a diverging position, as shown inFig. 3, so that the distance between the grippers will be increasedsimultaneously with the forward movement of the frames. In this manner adiagonal stretching of the material will take place. The plates 5 can beadjusted about the shaft 4 to such a position that the grippers,simultaneously with being pulled forward move the material closer to thefixed mold. Owing to the universal adjustment of the elements providedfor, the grippers can always be set in a position 'suitable for the kindof work performed.

The sleeves 14 as well as the plates 5 may be provided with scales, sothat the adjustment of elements for a particular kind of work, when oncearrived at by experiments, can be noted for future reference. Thesprings 21 can also be exchanged or adjusted to suit the nature of thevarious materials in use.

The actual construction of the grippers they are mounted and actuatedmay be vajried according to requirements.

aving thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combinationwith hat shaping blocks, of resiliently mounted frames adjustable atdifierent angular positions to said block, adapted to held between themthe hat material, and automatically to stretch it in'divergentdirections while a single operator stretches the same in a differentdirection, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination with hat shaping blocks of reciprocating framesadjustable in different angular positions on a table mounted in front ofsaid blocks, holders pivotally mounted on the fore-ends of said framesadapted to grip a hat material, and to stretch it in divergingdirections while the operator stretches same in another direction,substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 7

3. The combination with hat shaping blocks of a device for stretchingthe hat material, comprising a vertical post, a slit and tapped blockadjustable at different heights on said vertical post, a pair of tableshingedly mounted on a shaft carried by said block and adapted to befixed in different oblique positions on same, sleeves mounted one oneach of said tables adjustably in different angular positions thereon, aframe composed of parallel rods and cross pieces carried by each of saidsleeves, adapted to reciprocate in respect thereto, adjustable resilientmeans carried by said frames to actuate them in one direction and gripping means pivotally mounted on said frames, adapted to engage onecorner each of a hat material, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

4-. In a device of the character described, in combination, grippers forhat material comprising a lower plate pivotally mounted on reciprocatingmembers, said plates having each groove near its front edge, upperplates hingedly mounted on said lower plates, having tongues or teethregistering with said grooves in the lower plate, resilient means forkeeping said lower and upper plates in a position of closed jaws, camlevers for opening said jaws, and treadle controlled means connected tosaid cam levers for closing said jaws, substantially' as and for thepurpose set forth.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature in the presence oftwowitnesses.

ARNOLD HOFF. Witnesses:

FRED. Ronsnn, 7 ALEXANDER HAMBURGER.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

